Forensic Ballistics Flashcards
A discipline of forensic science which has as its primary concern to determine if a bullet, cartridge case or other ammunition component was fired by a particular firearm” (AFTE Definition)
Firearms Identification
Two Governing or General Characteristics in Firearms Identification
Class characteristics
Individual characteristics
Those characteristics that are determinable prior to the manufacture of the firearms. These characteristics are the factory specifications and are with in the control of man and they serve as basis to identify a certain group or class of firearms.
Class characteristics
markings peculiar in a particular firearm and which are not found in all other firearms
➢ determinable only after the manufacture of the firearm
➢characteristics whose existence is beyond the control of the manufacturer and which have random distribution inside the gun.
Individual characteristics
Functions of Firearms Identification Division
Examines evidence firearms, fired bullets/cartridge cases, pellets, wads, bullet fragments, cartridge components and related specimen;
➢ Test fires evidence firearms to obtain standard bullets and cartridge cases;
➢ Test fires and stencil new firearms, firearm for licensing and renewal and juridical firearms;
➢Encodes fired bullets and cartridge cases into the Firearms Identification System known as ____;
➢ Conducts crime scene investigation;
➢Testifies in court as expert witness;
➢Provides Resource Speaker on firearms identification to police, military, government and non- government institutional trainings, seminars and similar activities; and
➢ Performs such other functions as may be directed by the Director, CL
IBIS
➢ Letter request for examination
➢ Physical examination of the evidence being referred to for examination
➢ Referral of the evidence to the concerned CL technical divisions
➢Retrieval of related lab reports
➢Encoding of the evidence fired bullets and fired cartridge cases at the IBIS
➢Turn–over of evidence to the Evidence Custodian for safekeeping
➢Release of laboratory report
➢ Test firing of the evidence firearm
➢ Microscopic examination of the evidence bullet/cartridge cases
➢ Preparation of worksheet and photographs
Procedure
Determination of the caliber, type and
Particular firearm
Evidence bullet/s
Determination of the caliber, type and particular
firearm
Evidence cartridge case/s
Determination whether functional/serviceable.
Determination whether any of the previously encoded bullets
and cartridge cases in the IBIS match with the recovered
guns
Suspected firearms
Determination whether the said bullets were fired from one and the same firearm and/or possibly identify the particular firearm
Two or more evidence bullets
Determination whether or not the said cartridge cases were fired from
one and the same firearm and/or possibly identify the particular firearm
Two or more evidence cartridge cases
Functionality tests
Ammunition
BASIC ISSUES IN FIREARMS IDENTIFICATION
Evidence bullet/s Evidence cartridge case/s Suspected firearms Two or more evidence bullets Two or more evidence cartridge cases Ammunition
EESTTA
Firearms:
Revolver
Pistol
Rifle
Ammunition Components:
Bullet
Cartridge Case
Other Specimens